A prison has managed to fix over 200 bicycles which are then sent to charity shops in Buckinghamshire.

HMP Aylesbury, in partnership with Buckinghamshire Council, South Bucks Hospice, and FFC Environment, has been mending the damaged vehicles since 2016 and this year, has repaired 260 bikes (145 adult and 115 children).

The scheme was launched nearly a decade ago to reduce the volume of waste going for disposal, bringing items with life left in them back into productive use and in doing so, up-skill prisoners and generate vital funds for charity.

Additionally, with the bikes being sold at a value of £18,140, the proceeds go towards end-of-life and palliative care in Buckinghamshire.

Mimi Harker OBE, Chairman of Buckinghamshire Council & Patron of South Bucks Hospice said: “I could not be prouder to see so many partners in the Buckinghamshire community work together to benefit so many. 

“A truly brilliant initiative. These bikes would make a wonderful Christmas gift without breaking the bank.”

Neil Hawes of HMP Aylesbury said: “The men working here take great pride in knowing that the bikes they fix go to such a meaningful cause.

“The skills they gain are invaluable, learning how to take something old and neglected and transform it into something that will be cherished by someone else.”

The bikes are gathered from all of the recycling centres across Buckinghamshire, from where they are brought into the specially designed prison workshop.

At present, one load of bikes enter HMP Aylesbury every two weeks, and with the addition of a new machine to help clean the bikes, the inmates can fix ever more bicycles on site.

Once fully restored, they are then sent to the South Buck Hospice reuse shops in Aston Clinton and High Wycombe respectively.

Steve Longdon, CEO, of FCC Environment said: “I am delighted to be here today to meet you all and see for myself the great work that you are all doing in upcycling these bikes, this is an initiative we at FCC are really proud of.

“Reducing waste by reusing items that have life left in them is a really important contribution to society and the importance of this scheme in not only tackling the issue of waste and providing you with a skill you can use but also helping to generate funds for South Bucks Hospice and their incredible work with people at the end of their life is vital.”